Tulsa Gets A New Mayor

[In_Tulsa]

http://www.kotv.com/main/home/storie...ge=1&id=101797

[floater]

Congrats. I think you guys made the right choice. She has reportedly done wonders for the Commerce department, and I'm sure she'll work as hard or harder for Tulsa. Just let her do what she wants do, and don't dismiss her ideas just because she's a Democrat and that some have been done in OKC (such as TIFs and use of the Main Street program).

[Patrick]

She can't be any worse than Lafortune. I'm glad you guys got rid of him and got some fresh blood in there. congrats.

[Patrick]

Tulsa voters select new mayor with record turnout

By Tony Thornton
The Oklahoman

TULSA - Voters Tuesday unseated incumbent Mayor Bill LaFortune, replacing him with Kathy Taylor, a former state secretary of commerce and tourism.
Tuesday's mayoral race set records for voter turnout and money spent by candidates.
Taylor took 39,453, or 51 percent, of the votes to LaFortune's 36,016, or 46.6 percent. Two independents shared the remaining 2.4 percent.
Taylor, 50, told voters she would deal with the city's crime problem and its effect on economic development.
LaFortune, 48, asked voters for a second term to see the results of Vision 2025, the multimillion-dollar economic development plan that many saw as Tulsa's answer to Oklahoma City's MAPS success.
In Stillwater, voters ousted a one-term mayor.
Attorney Roger McMillian received 2,499 votes, or 59 percent, to 1,736 votes, or 41 percent, for incumbent Bud Lacy, an Oklahoma State University accounting professor.
The election followed a contentious few months over OSU's proposed athletic village. Lacy was outspoken against certain aspects of his employer's plan, which was approved by regents last month.
Taylor is a lawyer and businesswoman who resigned from Gov. Brad Henry's Cabinet to run for mayor.
LaFortune is a former Tulsa County district attorney and special judge.
Tulsa has a strong-mayor form of government, meaning its mayor takes the place of a city manager.
Taylor will take office Monday.
Her first few weeks will be hectic. In addition to a May 1 deadline for submitting next year's proposed budget to the city council, Taylor will try to persuade voters to extend a penny sales tax next month.
Taylor said she'll rely on senior staff for the budget, rather than trying to start from scratch.
About 80,000 people voted, 2,000 more than the previous record for a Tulsa municipal election, Tulsa County Election Board officials said.